DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE

and MUSIC STUDIES

Frequently Asked Questions about Majoring in Theatre at Brockport

Will I be able to work on productions my first year?
Yes. All students are eligible from their first day of classes, and as long as they maintain at least a “C” average. Because we are an undergraduate program, there are more opportunities for individual students than you will find in some larger departments.

I am very interested in acting. What classes and opportunities do you have specifically for actors?
The Department of Theatre has many opportunities and classes for actors. We have a sequence of four acting classes at Brockport, in addition we offer Voice and Diction and Physical Vocal Training. Auditions for mainstage productions are open to any Brockport student as long as you maintain a C average. We also offer acting internships at Geva Theatre Center - see question below for more info. There are many other acting opportunities in senior projects and student directed pieces

Do you have professional theatre internships?
Yes. Every semester we offer internships with Geva Theatre Center, a professional, Equity (affiliated with Actors Equity Association) company. Students spend full semesters working there in marketing, costuming, properties, administration, stage managers, and as assistant directors. Geva often turns to Brockport when looking for actors to fill smaller roles in productions. The combination of an undergraduate liberal arts degree and a professional internship presents a unique opportunity for students interested in a career in theatre, but still seeking a broad-based education.

I want to be a designer. Can I study lighting or costume or scene design at Brockport?
Classes are offered in all three of those design areas, with a faculty designer heading up each department. In many design classes, working on the department productions is part of the coursework, which provides hands-on experience.I love technical theatre. What kind of opportunities are there to learn about technical theatre?
In addition to courses in theatre technology, lighting, drafting, paining, stage make up, and costume construction, there are multiple opportunities to work backstage and on preparation crews for productions.

Are there opportunities to design productions?
Student designers, with the guidance of faculty mentors, often design mainstage productions at Brockport, as a way for them to put into practice what they have been studying in the classroom and studio. Students also design senior projects and productions mounted by Harlequins, the campus-wide student theatre club.

Why should I get a liberal arts degree in theatre?
1. A liberal arts degree will make you a better theatre person. Theatre is concerned with contemporary and historic human endeavor, interaction and culture, and a liberal arts background prepares you for theatrical explorations of those areas.

2. Your studies in theatre will give you experience and training in collaboration, concentration, time management, and many other skills valued in other fields. Should you decide to pursue a career in another field, you will be better prepared with a broad, liberal arts foundation.

3. A liberal arts education gives you a frame of reference that allows you to enjoy and appreciate a broader array of cultural offerings.

How many non-theatre courses do I need to take?
Of the 120 total academic credit hours required for graduation from Brockport, 66 must be taken outside of your primary area of study. Most theatre majors take far more than the remaining 54 credits in theatre.

How many productions do you produce a year?
We produce four mainstage productions a year. Since many students choose to complete their senior projects (required of all students) as a production, there are also a number of student-produced opportunities. Shows produced once a semester by Harlequins, the campus-wide student theatre club, also offer opportunities for theatre majors.

Are there opportunities to study musical theatre?
The department offers classes in voice (singing), as well as a class in American Musical Theatre. For those interested in dancing, Brockport’s nationally acclaimed department of dance offers classes for non majors.

How often do you produce musicals?
The department produces one musical every other year. In years when the department is not producing a musical, Harlequins often produces a musical.

Do I need to audition to get in?
No. We have found that many students experience their greatest growth or find their theatrical “niche,” during their studies at Brockport. We have found too that the best theatre students are usually the best all-around students; so we rely on the College’s admission process for students.

Can I have a second major or a minor?
Yes. Many of our students have a second major, and many have minors in other disciplines.

Will a degree get me a job in professional theatre?
Not automatically. But an undergraduate degree is necessary if you hope to continue studying theatre on the graduate level before entering either the professional or academic theatre.
Also, internships at a professional theatre, such as Geva Theatre Center, can lead to employment in professional theatre.

What theatre courses are required for majors?
Majors are exposed, through the required theatre core, to all aspects of theatre, and then given the opportunity to shape a curriculum to match specific interests.